Learning from History
by Nekonyaneko
Summary: The mistakes and achievements of the past can serve as a lesson for future generations. A young Huntress-in-training attempts to learn from the history of someone dear to her, yet always seemed out of reach. Story takes places roughly 20 years after RWBY volume 3.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! First off, if you're reading this, thank you for giving it a chance. This has been a thought in my head for a while now so i finally decided to write it all out. I don't think of myself as much of a writer, but I hope you'll enjoy this silly little story. Reviews and constructive criticism are gladly welcomed, so I can hopefully improve.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY and it's characters belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum.**

 **This story is set roughly 20 years after RWBY's current time, as of volume 3. "Team SKRA" is pronouced "Sakura", for those wondering.**

* * *

 **Learning From History**

Chapter 1

Sunlight filtered through the gap of the curtains, a narrow beam of light landing squarely across a young woman's face. The searing light pressed persistently against her eyelids until she stirred herself awake, groaning in sleepiness as she sat up. Silvery white hair tinged with red streaks and tips scattered in every direction in an untamed mess of bedhead.

Glancing around the room as her mind slowly dragged itself from the depths of sleep, she took note of, with a small amount of jealousy, her teammates still fast asleep in their respective beds.

The bright orange hair of Krann Duille was splayed out wildly as the girl in question snored away, her limbs spread out, as if she needed to cover as much of the bed as possible. Her covers were kicked everywhere except on the bed, the aftermath of a noisy and restless sleeper. The odds of her making the bed when she awoke were minimal, even with pestering from the rest of the team.

Further past Krann's bed was a much more tidy sleeping space. An elegant canopy not unlike what one would expect in the room of Atlas nobility encircled the bed. Sleeping daintily within was the resident 'princess' of the team, Regalia Ostrum. Even in sleep, she was the epitome of poise, not a violet hair out of place as she breathed softly, still wrapped in the gentle grasp of slumber.

Looking around to where the final member of the team's sleeping area was, the girl was greeted with a neatly made bed, absent of its usual occupant.

"Good morning, Amaranth."

A soft voice drew the girl's attention to the leader and final member of the team, Sora Mizu. Navy blue hair framed her face, a soft smile gracing her features as sky blue eyes looked over at the newly awoken Amaranth as she continued gathering her belongings for the day. Every movement had a calm and graceful flow, even during tasks as mundane as filling a bag full of books.

"Mmgn…Mornin' Sora," Amaranth drawled out groggily. Sleep was difficult for the young huntress to simply shrug off, whether due to a lack of sugar or a simple desire to return to sleep was question that was never truly answered. Amaranth rubbed at her eyes as she pulled herself out of bed, swaying slightly as her sleep-addled mind try to get her to return to the soft covers. Taking another glance across the dorm room at the still sleeping half of team SKRA, she let out a soft sigh. "Still don't understand how you get up so early."

"Consistency, for the most part," Sora answered easily with a soothing smile as she finished packing up all that she needed. Already dressed in the Beacon school uniform, she was prepared for the day before the rest of her team was even awake, taking her responsibility as team leader seriously. Sora walked over to Regalia's canopied bed, intent on rousing the rest of her team from slumber. "Today is especially important, as I've heard there'll be a Hunter on grounds today as a guest speaker. It's a good opportunity for us all to learn from a veteran."

Amaranth went about her morning routines to get ready, doing her best to simultaneously pay attention to her leader. A difficult task when she got overly enthusiastic about hearing of Huntsmen and Huntress' firsthand experiences with the Grimm. "Do you know who the guest is supposed to be?" questioned Amaranth as she was brushing out her white locks, pulling the strands over her shoulder into a loose ponytail.

Poking her head out of washroom, Amaranth saw Regalia rising from her bed slowly, her poise preventing her from even seeming sluggish aside from a lack of attention to the conversation. Sora had started on the much more difficult task of rousing the deep sleeping Krann from slumber. The girl would probably be able to sleep through an entire Grimm attack without so much as stirring.

"No, it was a last minute change from what I've heard," Sora replied with a faint frown, as she continued trying to shake Krann awake. Each gentle push merely drew out a louder snore as the girl rolled over into a more comfortable position. The leader let out an exasperated sigh as she attempted to come up with a plan B for awaking the deepest sleeper of team SKRA.

"We most likely shouldn't have high expectations of this 'veteran' if they are nothing more than a last minute substitution."

Amaranth glanced to the side at where the snooty comment came from, seeing Regalia already immaculately freshened up as if she had been awake for hours. Amaranth never could figure out how she got ready in a matter of moments, especially given the complicated braid the noble girl wore her long violet hair in the majority of the time. Eyes as gold as jewelry looked over at Amaranth in a disdainful glare, scrutinizing her appearance as she let out an irritated sigh. "How is it you still aren't ready when you awoke before myself?"

For all her poise and beauty, Regalia was a bit of a grouch in the mornings.

Letting out an annoyed grumble, Amaranth moved to gather up her uniform from her dresser. She continued watching the unsuccessful attempts Sora made to wake Krann as she changed into her clothing, letting out a sigh as she resigned herself to helping her leader with the daily hardship. Pulling a whistle out of her belongings, stepped next to Krann's bed, the girl still blissfully snoring away, unaware of her teammate's plight.

Staring down at the piece of metal, Amaranth was reminded of the many rudely awoken mornings caused by it. As much as she loathed the noisemaker, it's useful in situations such as these caused her to view it as a necessary evil. Sharing a quick glancing with Sora, who reluctantly nodded in silent permission, Amaranth brought the whistle to her lips.

The shrill shriek of the metal object filled the air before being drowned by an even louder shriek of surprise.

"Gah! Wha-" A loud thump cut off any response, as Krann's wild flailing from being awoken so suddenly sent her tumbling off her bed. The three other members of team SKRA stared at the groaning figure splayed out on the ground. Emerald eyes slowly opening, staring at the ceiling as her mind reeled from grogginess and pain. "Ugh…I hate that damn whistle…"

* * *

Team SKRA, with all of its members now fully awake, made their way to their first class of the day.

Grimm studies seemed as if it would be a class that most young Hunters-in-training would look forward to. In most cases that would be true. But not when the teacher of said class is a balding Professor Port.

For those with the patience and interest, such as Sora, to listen to his always growing list of past battles and accolades, a wealth of knowledge about lesser known ways to battle the creatures of Grimm could be learned, providing a much needed advantage against the beings of darkness. Most, however, lacked this discipline.

"…So when the wily beast attempted to disarm me of my trusty blunderbuss, I had to resort to my bare hands! Grapping the charging Boarbatusk by it's namesake, I throw the beast over my shoulder, pinning it to the ground as it struggled against-"

As Amaranth's attention span reached its limit, she glanced to her side at her teammates. As usual, it amazed her how Sora seemed to hang on every word of the old Huntsman's tales, as eager to hear valiant stories about those who fought the creatures of Grimm.

Content to let Sora enjoy the exploits of how the Professor somehow managed to fight back a pack of Beowolves by apparently using a Boarbatusk as a club, Amaranth's attention drifted to the teammates seated on her other side.

Regalia sat with her usual perfect posture, seeming at first glance to be listening as intently to the tale as their team leader. It became obvious after a moment of observation though that the noble girl was simply spaced out as she attempted to survive the "dull tales meant to inspire the plebian masses out of inaction", in her own words. Not that she would every admit to something as unladylike as 'spacing out.'

In between Amaranth and Regalia, sat Krann. The rowdy fighter of the team didn't even make an attempt to seem like she was paying attention to aged Professor's lecture, instead focused on sending notes around the classroom. Constant back and forth notes with other students left her repeatedly trying to stifle laughter, effectively preventing Amaranth and Regalia from focusing on their Professor's words even if they were interested in the subject. Any annoyed glares Regalia sent towards Krann were either unseen or entirely ignored, as she constantly nudged her teammates to draw their attention to the notes she found amusing.

"…And to this day, I still have the tusk of that beast I defeated as a permanent reminder of my ingenuity that day." What sounded like the end of Port's story managed to draw Amaranth's attention back to the front of the class, many students mimicking the action, all used to the Professor's long-winded tales. "Now, before I go into anything else, I'm sure you've all heard that we have a guest speaker today."

Mention of the mystery Hunter that was visiting Beacon drew even the people with the shortest attention spans back to the Professor; even Krann abandoned her message relay to pay attention to the new event in the normally predictable class procedure.

"Our guest happens to have been a student here at Beacon, specifically one of my former students, and she has quite a number of missions under her belt, perhaps enough so to even rival my adventures, hah!" The Professor's inability to not go off into a tangent about his past experiences seemed to extend even into introductions, already recounting a few run ins with Grimm as the door to the classroom opened quietly. The experienced Huntress walked silently into the room, taking a calm position near the Professor's desk as his rambling continued, whether he was unaware of the newcomer's presence or simply overjoyed to have another audience member was unclear.

Quiet murmurs spread throughout the students, the Huntress' hooded figure hard to ignore as all eyes focused on her, ignoring the rambles of their Professor as he spoke about the time he supposed tamed a Goliath. Team SKRA's attention likewise turned to the guest, each having their own reaction. Sora practically radiated excitement, eager to listen to an active Huntress speak about her experiences. Regalia attempted to feign indifference, but the arching of her brow showed her peaked interest. Krann simply seemed desperate for the Huntress to take over in order to hopefully stop Port's insatiable need to spin an absurd tale every few minutes.

Amaranth's reaction was noticeably different, as her eyes widened, looking almost in fear as she stared at the red clad Huntress. As she pulled her hood down, exposing her black and red locks, Amaranth's anxiety on increased to the point she shrunk in her seat.

"Oh, no…"

Ever the concerned leader, Sora took note of the distress in her partner's voice, looking over at the shrinking girl with a worried look. With the smiling Huntress momentarily forgotten, she turned to Amaranth to see how she could help. "Is something wrong, Amaranth? You seem…nervous?"

The girl in question didn't answer, shrinking further into her seat as the Huntress slowly scanned the seated students, Professor Port still rambling on about one story or another. Amaranth practically tried to hide behind her teammates as the Huntress' trained eyes drew closer to her each second.

"Don't notice me, don't notice me, don't notice me…"

Amaranth nervously muttered a desperate plea, drawing the attention of her other teammates and further concern from her leader. She ignored their line of question as she drew in a deep breath as the famous scythe wielder's eyes drew closer, before passing over. Amaranth let out the breath in relief as the Huntress seemed to not have noticed her.

The exhale unfortunately drew the Huntress' attention back to her.

Two pairs of silver eyes locked on each other, one brightening in recognition as the other dimmed in dread.

"Oh, Dust…"

The day that started off normally quickly became clear to Amaranth Rose-Schnee as the day that she died. Of embarrassment.

"Ammy~!"

Ruby Rose's excited squeal drew all attention to her, including Professor Port, his most recent story of combating Grimm forgotten. Ruby beamed a huge smile as she waved enthusiastically at Amaranth, completely ignoring all of the stares directed towards them both.

"Oh~, I was hoping I'd get to speak for your class, this is gonna be the Best~. Day~. Ever~!"

Amaranth's head planted onto the desk, groaning as she realized just how long her day was about to become. "Why did it have to be Mom…?"

* * *

 **A/N: Ruby always struck me as being one of those embarrassingly loving moms, constantly doting over her daughter .**

 **If you've made it this far, thank you for your time! A review would be gladly welcomed to help me improve or at least let me know people want more. I have the story pretty much outlined at this point, so its simply a matter of finding the free time to write it all out. I will try to get chapters out as I can, but I don't have a set schedule at this moment.**

 **For those wondering, Weiss will have multiple appearances, and interact with both Amaranth and Ruby.**

 **With all that said, I hope you enjoyed this silly little story idea at least a bit. I will do my best to make the rest of the story just as enjoyable if not more so. Until then, thank you for reading.**

 **~ Nekonyaneko**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! Thank you again for taking the time and chance to read this story. To those who followed/favorited, thank you very much. And thank you as well to those who reviewed, it was definitely encouraging to hear your opinions. Now then, onto the story!  
**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY and it's characters belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. Keep moving forward.**

* * *

 **Learning from History**

Chapter Two

"So there I was, surrounded on all sides. There must've been at least fifty Beowolves circling me. And not just normal Beowolves…they were all Alphas." Ruby spoke out dramatically to the attentive class, punctuating each word with meaningless hand gestures. Despite the similarity to their normal schedule, the students seemed more thrilled with Ruby's story. Not that her tale was any more realistic.

"Before I could even draw Crescent Rose, the first Grimm was already taking a swing at me! With my unmatched speed, I dodged it and pulled out my scythe in a single move, cutting it in half before it could attack again!"

Team SKRA's levels of excitement was a mixed bag. Sora was literally on the edge of her seat in an attempt to hear each detail of Ruby's experience clearly, committing each word to memory. Regalia's expression was the definition of disbelief, clearly not finding it any more likely than Port's own outlandish stories. The small hint of amusement on her features however, suggested she was at least enjoying the break from the norm. Krann had come to the decision that teasing Amaranth about her relation to the animated Huntress was more worthwhile than attempting to follow the fast paced story. Amaranth, meanwhile, had been deemed fact checker.

"So, _Ammy_ , you've probably heard this story loads of times. How much's true?" Krann said with a smirk, throwing her arm around Amaranth's shoulder as she stressed the nickname. Sora turned towards the two, interested in the answer but with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Fifty Alphas in one place is rather uncommon, but I'm sure it's only a slight embellishment, correct?" The optimistic gleam in Sora's blue eyes made Amaranth cringe inwardly, dreading crushing her hopes with the reality. Struggling to pull herself out of Krann's grip, she spoke gently, hoping not to disappoint her partner too much.

"It was more like thirty Beowolves, if I remember right, and only three of them were Alphas…B-But it was pretty rare for Beowolves to be in that area, s-so that was still an impressive number," Amaranth stated, the faltering smile on Sora's face forcing her to quickly stammer out what she hoped would justify the exaggeration. Letting out an internal sigh as Sora's attention returned back to the speaking Huntress with a repaired sense of excitement, Amaranth turned back to the still smirking Krann.

"And please don't call me that. I prefer Amaranth," the peeved girl said to her rowdy friend. 'Ammy' was her nickname as a child, a name she grew out of as she entered her teenage years and began insisting she be referred to by her proper name. An insistence that her Mom repeatedly ignored, and judging by the growing smirk on her teammate's face, Krann was about to be added to that list.

"Yeah, that ain't happenin', _Ammy_ ," Krann replied with no small amount of mirth. She snickered as she looped her arm back around Amaranth's shoulder, pulling her against her side despite her protests as she turned back to listening to Ruby's story.

"Perhaps now, she will cease butchering my name as _Reggy_ ," Regalia muttered to the side, having been a constant target of Krann's teasing nature. Her annoyed grumble didn't go unnoticed, Krann's smirk simply widening into a grin.

"That ain't happenin' either."

"And with one last swing, I cut down the final Beowolf. Just as I was catching my breath from singlehandedly taking down an entire pack of Alphas…I heard a loud screech!" Ruby's cloak flew behind her as she practically ran across the front of the room, animatedly reenacting her fight with wild hand gestures and her own sound effects. "I looked over at the tree line and saw five-, no, ten! Nevermores flying straight at me!

The pure gleam of amazement in Sora's eyes forced Amaranth to whisper corrections to Ruby's story, not wanting to damper her partner's sense of wonder. "It was only three Nevermores and a Griffin," she stated, being still pulled against Krann thankfully making her comment unheard by the excited leader of team SKRA.

"I am not understanding exactly what bothers you so much about your mother, Amaranth," Regalia spoke out, her displeasure at admitting to not knowing something obvious in the tone of her voice as she glanced sideways at Amaranth with a glare of annoyance. Something was always annoying her, even on a good day. "Certainly, her story is a clear exaggeration to make her deeds seem larger than they are, yet I do not see any particular reason for your reaction earlier."

Regalia's question brought a grimace to Amaranth's face, as she relived a few choice moments in the past where her mother's childish nature landed her in awkward situations. "Trust me, this is nothing. You'd know why I'm not exactly looking forward to today if you saw her when she really dropped any sense of professionalism."

The statement earned Amaranth an arched brow from Krann as she took another look at the red clad Huntress, excitedly acting out how she engaged in a midair battle with a flock of Nevermores. "Worse than this? No way," Krann laughed off the implication with a wave.

"As the last Nevermore crashed to the ground, I thought I was finally done fighting back the Grimm. But no! Out of the trees came…three Goliaths-"

"They were Deathstalkers," Amaranth interjected quietly.

"-And they were charging right at me! Any other Huntress would've run, but I was the last line of defense for a town full of innocent people! " Ruby suddenly leaped on top of Professor Port's desk, scattering papers and books to the floor, surprising the entirety of the class, Port included. Drawing out and twirling Crescent Rose with a flourish, Ruby struck a dramatic pose, one she thought was the definition of heroic. "I stood my ground, and ran right at them, for the sake of all Goodness and Love in the world!"

…

A deafening silence was all that followed Ruby's shout, as she continued to hold her pose atop Port's desk. The smiling expression on her face cracked slightly as the expected cheers of amazement never came. Glancing around at the faces of the young, impressionable students, a reoccurring expression of dumbfounded shock looked back at her. Ruby's nerves grew with each face until she glanced in team SKRA's direction, desperately hoping her daughter would give her some much-needed confidence. That was probably a mistake.

Amaranth's head had planted onto the desk, groaning quietly as her face was as pink as her namesake. Regalia's normally impassive visage was contorted in sheer astonishment, her usual poise completely abandoned in the surprise of the moment. Even the hero-worshipping Sora seemed to be struggling to cope with the situation, shaking her head slowly to try to pull herself out of whatever daydream made her see and hear _The Ruby Rose_ just do that. Krann, meanwhile, had both hands clasped over her mouth, slumped over the desk as she made a valiant, yet unsuccessful attempt to stifle her laughs.

Still trying to keep the smile on her face, Ruby quietly folds Crescent Rose up, placing it back on her hip. She slowly climbs down from the top of the desk, sending an apologetic glance to Port as she picks up the scattered materials before placing them back on the desk neatly, at least for her. Turning back to the still dumbfounded class, Ruby nervously clears her throat as her hands wring together in anxiety. "S-So, um….Are there any questions?"

The only response came in the form of Krann's self control finally crumbling as she broke out in laughter.

* * *

Stacks of neatly organized papers pertaining to Dust research covered nearly every inch of the massive mahogany office desk. What little space remained was taken up by a constantly changing screen. News updates relating to what remained of the White Fang scrolled past, inquiries from employees flooded the message box, and a fully filled calendar listed reminders of a busy schedule. In the middle of all this chaos of business, sat the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss Schnee.

Ice blue eyes scanned over every form and document with years of experience turning the task into a simple routine. A soft beeping from a device to Weiss' side letting her know she was receiving a call interrupted said routine. Letting out a small huff as she turned, her annoyance quickly dissipated at she saw it was coming from her personal scroll, content knowing it was not yet another business call. Accepting the video call, Weiss was greeted with the scowling face of her daughter.

"Good morning Amaranth," Weiss greeted, as she looked back over a few documents. Both her daughter and wife knew how much she needed to get done, so never complained if she continued working through a call. "I can already guess what this is about, but to what do I owe the pleasure of your call today?" Weiss asked calmly, a knowing look on her face as Amaranth's scowl deepened.

"Mother, why didn't you tell me that Mom was going to be a guest speaker at Beacon?"

The implied accusation was easily heard in Amaranth's tone, as if she believed the two had conspired together in an attempt to ruin her reputation. A quick glance sent at the screen with a raised brow had Amaranth shrinking back slightly, an apologetic look taking her scowl's place. She was just as easily pacified by one of Weiss' glares as Ruby was.

"It was a last minute change. The Hunter planned to speak was called away on a mission and Ruby had just returned from one last night." Weiss returned her attention back to the stacks of paperwork, noting out of the corner of her eye Amaranth's expression calming slightly. "She accepted quite eagerly. I think she was hoping to get to spend some time with you."

The look on Amaranth's face as she replied was a mix of annoyance and guilt. "I know we haven't gotten to see each other much since I started at Beacon, and I love her, I really do. It's just sometimes she's such a…" Weiss smirked as she watched her daughter attempt to come up with the description for Ruby's personality, already knowing exactly which word she would inevitably settle on. "Such a dolt!"

Shaking her head slightly as she let out a small chuckle, Weiss replied to a few messages from employees as she continued her chat with Amaranth. "You are, without a doubt, my daughter." A quick glance at her scroll's screen brought her smirk back full force as she continued typing away. "And that puppy-dog pout is definitely Ruby's."

The only response she received was a few grumbles of annoyance at the reminder that as a child, Amaranth was a white-haired mirror image of Ruby, enthusiastic about exploring all of the wonders of the world that only an innocent heart could enjoy. Finishing off the last of her work, Weiss fully turned to her scroll, pulling Amaranth from her reminiscing as she spoke up.

"Try to give her a chance, Amaranth. Ruby and her family are simply very expressive in showing their affection towards those they care deeply about."

"I figured that out every time Aunt Yang tries to hug me to death," muttered Amaranth, Weiss chuckling softly as she shared the experience of being on the receiving end of numerous of Yang's infamous bear hugs. The two had grown closer over the years, and Weiss would trust her with her life, but she still viewed Yang as a slowly acquired taste.

"The point is, she misses you. She missed out on having her mother for a large part of her life, and she wants to make sure you don't experience that." The somber expression growing on Amaranth's face reassured Weiss that her message was getting through. Trying not to let the depressed mood fully settle on her daughter's mind, Weiss added an afterthought. "Give her a chance today. Despite her being a dolt, she is, in fact, a professional Huntress. You may learn something from her."

Letting out a soft sigh, Amaranth looked back up to her mother with a small smile. Nodding slightly as she resigned herself to making the best of today, she and Weiss shared a quick goodbye. Weiss leaned back in her chair as the call with Amaranth ended, the exhaustion of the day and conversation causing her mind to drift from work.

' _I figured that call would happen at some point today, but I wasn't expecting it so early_ ,' Weiss thought to herself as she took a much-needed break from the grueling tasks require to keep a company running. ' _Ruby must've done something exceptionally embarrassing already, that dolt_.'

With a quick bit of internal deliberation, Weiss reached out to her scroll again, quickly pulling up her contacts list and finding the name she was looking for.

* * *

Ruby happily skipped her way across the Beacon grounds towards the cafeteria, the disastrous end to her story already forgotten. It had been quite a number of years since she'd eaten the food at Beacon, but the scent of the food as she drew closer was just as good as she remembered.

Barely noticing the stares from students who recognized her, Ruby made her way through the lunch line. With her plate pilled high with strawberries and cookies, she made her way to an empty table. Throughout her meal, a number of brave students came up to speak with her, surprising them with a friendly and casual greeting, encouraging the less bold students to address her as well.

As she munched on the last few of her cookies, Ruby felt her scroll vibrate in her pocket. With a bit of difficulty as she tried to not let crumbs fly everywhere, Ruby fished her scroll out, happily answering it when she saw who was calling her.

"Whefya Wheiff," Ruby excitedly spoke through a mouthful of cookie. Despite her earlier attempt, crumbs ended up landing all around her. Her greeting was met with an annoyed sigh and a glare from her wife on the other side of the scroll.

"Don't speak with your mouth full, dolt. We've been over this."

Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she finished off the last of her cookie, chuckling nervously as she redid her greeting. "Sorry. Heya Weiss! You don't usually call during work, what's up?"

"I was simply wondering how your guest speaker role was going. How is it?" Weiss asked coolly as her attention shifted back to her work, always impressing Ruby with her ability to multitask.

"It's great so far! I got to talk for Ammy's Grimm Studies class!" Ruby stated excitedly, unaware of the distress that fact had caused for her daughter. Ruby's face lit up in joy as she remembered a fact she learned just a short while ago. "Oh! And I checked the class rosters for the classes I'm supposed to speak for, and guess what?" Not waiting for a response from Weiss, Ruby quickly continued, "They're all for Ammy's classes! What are the chances?!"

Shaking her head slightly at her wife's antics, Weiss had a hunch who was behind the suspiciously convenient coincidence of two Roses ending up together. ' _It wouldn't surprise me if Ozpin rigged it. It wouldn't be the first time he abused his power simply for amusement's sake,'_ Weiss thought to herself, having been subject to Ozpin's plots forcing her into a number of awkward situations brought about by the human whirlwind that was Ruby.

Dragging her attention back to her wife, who was still happily expressing her joy at getting to be with her daughter for the entire day, Weiss pulled the conversation back to the topic. "What did you speak about in Professor Port's class? I can't imagine you being calm enough to give a proper lecture," Weiss asked with an arched brow, doubt etched across her face as she returned to her work.

"Yeah, I didn't have a clue about what to say, so I just started talking about one of my missions. I figured, it's what Port always does, so it must be the teacherly thing to do," admitted Ruby, with a sheepish chuckle as she realized that she had prepared little for her guest role, having been too excited to think past the opportunity to see Amaranth. "You know that mission off in Mistral, near that little village? I talked about that one, and the students all seemed to like it!"

A narrowed glare sent her way was not the reaction Ruby was expecting. "You mean the mission you always terribly over exaggerate?" Weiss asked in a deadpan voice, already well aware of the answer. Ruby shrunk back a bit at Weiss' rather accurate description, but forced her smile to stay on as she did what she always did when backed into a corner. Deny it.

"W-What? I-I would never exaggerate, I'm just a normal girl with normal knees, so all of my stories are true," Ruby nervously stammered out, her horrible acting not even convincing herself as Weiss' glare narrowed even further.

"Ruby, I went on that mission with you."

"R-Right. Forgot about that…" Ruby trailed off, not wanting to mention that the biggest exaggeration of her story was that she had accomplished it all singlehandedly. The only reason anyone even knew the true story was due to Weiss' refusal to embellish the story when she was present for Ruby's retellings.

Turning fully away from her work, Weiss locked Ruby in place with a sharp glare. "How much did you exaggerate?" The quiet question might not have bothered her if it came from anyone else, but Weiss' icy tony sent a shiver through Ruby's spine.

Ruby pressed the tips of her fingers together nervously, as she made sure to look anywhere but at Weiss. "U-Um, fifty Beowolves…all of them Alphas," Ruby started awkwardly, Weiss' narrowing stare pushing her to continue. "T-Ten Nevermores." Sparing a quick glance at her scroll was a mistake, Weiss' twitching eye terrifying her into the entire truth. "A-And three Goliaths…"

"Ruby!"

"I-I'm sorry! They all just looked so excited and they hear Port's stories everyday and I was worried they wouldn't think I was cool unless I told a really cool story so I just kept raising the numbers and then Deathstalkers didn't seem dangerous enough soIchangedthemtoGoliathsbecauseeveryoneknowsthey'rereallystrong!" Ruby's frantic explanation turned into a full ramble towards the end, panic setting in as she gave Weiss her saddest puppy-dog eyes, desperately hoping they'd save her from her wrath.

Weiss made an impressive effort to stay mad even in the face of Ruby's puppy-dog pout, she really did. Yet even the Ice Queen couldn't withstand the stare. Looking away with an annoyed huff, Weiss returned to her work with annoyed mutterings. "You're only off the hook due to Port's own exaggerated stories being a daily occurrence," Weiss said, glaring at her computer screen, irritated with her own inability to combat Ruby's pout.

Ruby let out an audible sigh, all the tension leaving her body as the fear of impending death passed. She opened her mouth to continue the conversation before Weiss' spoke up first, freezing Ruby in place as her terror suddenly rushed back full force.

"Just so long as you didn't add that 'For the sake of Goodness and Love!" bit."

Suddenly the ground became very interesting to Ruby, a forced smile on her face as every thought in her mind fled for safety. The sound of fingers clacking away at a keyboard were all that filled the silence, before slowly fading away as well.

"Ruby."

The calm voice that called her name chilled Ruby to the core, as if the Grim Reaper himself were calling to her. Slowly lifting her gaze to the piercing glare of Weiss, Ruby did her best to keep her voice from shaking. She failed. "Y-Yes my lovely and f-forgiving wife?"

Ruby wasn't sure if it was possible, but Weiss' glare got even sharper, to the point she could feel it through the scroll.

"You didn't add that part in front of an entire class of students, correct?"

"Uh…" Ruby's mind was entirely blank. For all her years of quick thinking against the Grimm in order to save her and her teammates' lives, her mind struggled to find any form of response or action. Finally, a single option flashed through her head, and she clung to it as desperately as a lifeline. ' _Tactical retreat!"_

"GottagoIloveyoubyeWeiss!" Using her semblance to hang up her scroll before Weiss could get a word in, Ruby slumped in her seat as she escaped doom. Relief was short lived as her mind started functioning again, telling her an important fact. ' _I'll be paying for that later…"_

* * *

After managing to convince Amaranth to not spend the rest of the day hiding in their dorm room, team SKRA were on their way to their next class.

Krann threw an arm around Amaranth, jostling her as they walked, the grin on her face already causing her to dread the impending conversation that was about to start. "So, Ammy-"

"Don't call me that-"

"-When are you gonna introduce us to your Mom? Pretty sure someone would go all fangirl if you did," Krann snickered as she threw a look over at Sora, who practically lit up at the prospect.

"Can we!?" The high-pitched squeal surprised the entire group, even Krann, getting much more of a reaction than she expected. Clearing her throat quietly, Sora spoke up again. "I-I mean, it would be a great opportunity if we could speak directly with her."

Her voice was calm, the sheer hope and excitement twinkling in her eyes practically blinded Amaranth as she weighed the options of making Sora happy at the risk of extra embarrassment at the hands of her mother. Regalia decided to solve that dilemma for her.

"Professor Goodwitch's sparring class is our next destination. Assuming Mrs. Rose is present, it could serve as an ideal situation for us to compare our skillsets against a professional." Regalia let out a huff at the surprised looks from her teammates, unwilling to admit her desire to meet the eccentric Huntress famous throughout all of Remnant directly.

With her conversation with Weiss fresh in her mind, Amaranth made up her mind to properly interact with her mother, rather than hide in embarrassment. "Alright, lets do that then. You can all meet her and we can see how well we hold up against her."

With agreements all around, team SKRA picked up their pace on the way to the arena, preparing themselves for the tough task ahead.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you again to those who've read this far! I know most OC stories are passed over, so I thank anyone who gave this a chance despite that. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far.**

 **The next chapter shall be duels! I'll introduce a bit of team SKRA's weapons/semblances, as well as show their combat outfits, as they've been in their uniforms up until now.**

 **Until then, keep moving forward!  
**

 **~Nekonyaneko**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello again all! So...Volume 3's finale...In the words of Yang, " _That was a thing_." Certainly was. **

**Anyways, thanks to my time gap, it thankfully didn't break too much of my continuity. So, as much as I enjoyed the latest episode, I needed a bit of lightheartedness, so I finished up this chapter.**

 **Thank you again to all who read this story, and thank you very much to my kind reviewers and those who followed/favorited the story. Now, onto duels!**

 **Disclaimer; RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. And they're doing a much better job at it than I would.**

* * *

 **Learning from History**

Chapter 3

Vivid green eyes looked over each student as they filled into the arena stands, silently taking note of each Hunter-in-training present. A sudden breeze rustled the woman's clothes, her black and purple cloak swaying as rose petals scattered throughout the air. Without a hint of surprise, the deep green eyes shifted over to the silver-eyed Huntress, a beaming smile on her face as she stood in front of her former Professor.

"Mrs. Rose," came the terse reply from Glynda Goodwitch, her voice still as clear and attention grabbing as it was during Ruby's school years. Her unamused stare shifted back to the data pad in her hands, fingers tapping over the keys with a rapid pace borne of years of experience. "I see you haven't changed."

"Hey, I've changed plenty! I drank plenty of milk, after all," came Ruby's reply, her voice full of an indignant whine as her face sported a matching pout, pushing herself to the tips of her toes. Indeed, the red clad Huntress had grown slightly from her time at Beacon. Her few inches of gain however, were overshadowed by someone else's much more noticeable growth.

"I believe Mrs. Schnee has passed you by, since I last saw you."

Ruby's pout only grew at the reminder of Weiss' growth spurt in their final year, putting her at a near match to Winter's height. "She always has a smug look when she looks down at me now," Ruby muttered under her breath, slightly peeved from Weiss' occasional teasing at the reversal of heights. Although Ruby enjoyed it more than she would admit, Yang would often tease Weiss that she only 'grew up, but not out.'

"Anyways, if there's someone who hasn't changed, its you Miss Goodwitch, you're practically the same!" Ruby exclaimed, her earlier glee returning quickly as she compared the present Glynda with the one in her memories. With a tilt of her head, Ruby took note of only a single change since her student days. "Although your hair is turning a bit-"

A quick glare through narrowed eyes silenced Ruby with a small 'eep.' While Glynda had certainly aged well, her once golden blonde hair had dulled to a slight grey. Mentioning this change, however, was ill advised. Glynda kept her glare on Ruby for a few moments until she started fidgeting nervously under the sharp gaze. Turning away with a nostalgic sigh, Glynda could still only see her as the bright-eyed young Huntress she taught many years ago. "You're still that immature little do-gooder I rescued on that rooftop, aren't you Mrs. Rose?"

Ruby relaxed a bit as the piercing glare turned from her, her smile quickly coming back as she saw her teacher reminiscing about their meeting. Silver eyes shined as she suddenly recalled something. "You still never gave me your autograph after that night. If you gave me it, I'd totally be able to show it off to Weiss~"

The singsong tone of Ruby's request had Glynda raising a brow as she glanced back at the girl, a pleadingly hopeful look on her face. Hiding a smirk at the antics that always secretly amused her, Glynda stepped up to the now fully gathered class. "Perhaps if you become a famous enough Huntress, I will."

"Aww, c'mon Glynda, if I'm famous then you'll be wanting my autograph instead. I wanna be able to brag to Weiss that I got it, pretty pleeeease~?"

Glynda pointedly ignored Ruby's repeated attempts to persuade her to give in to her demands, waiting for the students' attention to settle on her. She sent a silencing look to Ruby as they all quieted down, stepping forward as she typed in a few things to her scroll.

"Good morning class. As I'm sure you're all aware, today we have Mrs. Rose her as a guest. With that in mind, I've decided that for today's lesson, a number of you may spar with her." Glynda's curt voice cut across the room as easily as if she were using a microphone. The statement sent murmurs throughout the assembled students, as expected. Out of the corner of her eye, Glynda noticed Ruby practically bouncing in place out of barely contained excitement.

"Now, are there any volunteers who wish to-" Glynda's question was cut off as Krann practically vaulted over the wall separating the arena from the stands, a wide grin stretching across her face as she made her way to the center of the arena. Glynda let out an annoyed sigh, clearly used to the girl's informality. "While I appreciate the enthusiasm Miss Duille, please use the stairs next time. They are there for a reason."

As Glynda made her way to the instructor's stand to set up the display, Ruby took a look at the confident girl that practically bounded into the arena. The sleeves of her white peasant blouse flowed and shifted as she stood with her hands at her hips. A leather vest dyed dark green conformed to her toned muscles, suggesting to Ruby that she was a fighter who relied on strength. Black shorts and buckled boots covered Krann's constantly shifting legs, her eagerness to fight clear. A length of green plaid cloth draped down her right side, holding what Ruby assumed to be her weapon at her hip. Shoulder length orange hair held back by a pin in the shape of a clover framed her always-grinning face, emerald eyes shining in excitement as she stared across at the red Huntress.

"So," Krann's booming voice drew Ruby out of her studying of the Huntress-in-training. "Nice to meet ya, Ammy's Mom. Names Krann Duille, an' I'm the heavy hitter of team SKRA." The Cheshire grin on her face only grew at the statement as she stretched out her joints with a few audible pops. "Hope ya don' mind me taking the first run at ya."

Overjoyed that she was meeting one of her daughter's teammates, Ruby returned the smile with one of her own. "Nice to meet you Krann, and you can just call me Ruby." Ruby let out a small giggle as she remembered Krann's enthusiastic answer to Glynda's unfinished question. "And it'd be kind mean to say no after you pretty much jumped into the arena."

Unfolding Crescent Rose from off her back, the class full of students got the first proper look at the heavily engineered weapon, having been too distracted during Port's class to see it clearly. Although much of the design remained the same, the scythe blade was significantly longer than the Beacon day's incarnation, years of training and growth allowing Ruby to outfit her weapon similarly. Multiple encounters with the Grimm had caused Ruby to place numerous smaller blades where blunt ends used to be, allowing her to strike without the need to fully turn the wide berth of the cleaving blade to reach her target. As her cloak blew away from her body, entire bandoliers and magazines full of Dust bullets were visible, some being consumer products, but the majority were unrecognizable to even the most adept Dust users in the stands.

Being the wife of the CEO of the world's largest Dust Company had a few perks.

"Not gonna lie, that thing is kinda intimidating up close," Krann admitted as she looked over the engineering masterpiece, her confident grin not faltering in the slightest. As Krann took up a loose battle stance, she pulled her weapon off her hip, a long club held in one hand. The end of the weapon was topped with a rounded sphere dotted with holes that Ruby couldn't make out the inside of. Even more of a weapon connoisseur than in her youth, Ruby's eyes practically glowed with interest.

"Ooh~, so that's your weapon? What's it called? What's it do? How many forms does it have? Can it use Dust? What are it's ranged capabilities?" Any sense of tension before the fight was dispelled at Ruby's rapid fire questioning about the workings of the fighter's weapon. The Huntress' visible excitement drew another laugh from Krann at the reminder of her team leader.

"It's called Seamair, and if I went an' told ya the rest, it'd spoil the surprise," came Krann's reply, smirking a bit at Ruby's disappointed look from the rest of her questioning being ignored. As she noticed Glynda finishing the preparations for the fight, Krann decided to throw out one last bit of information. "I'll tell ya a hint though, so ya ain't fighting totally blind."

Ruby perked up at this, listening eagerly even as Glynda moved to start the match. Just before Glynda's mouth opened to signal the start to the combatants, Krann's voice came out in a confident tone, her ever-present smirk practically splitting her face.

"My semblance is luck."

Barely having time to register the statement, Glynda had called out the beginning of the match, Krann having lunged forward no sooner than the words had left her mouth. Caught off guard, Ruby jumped back to avoid the swing, her semblance working to give her some distance from the club wielder. Each of Ruby's steps back was matched with one of Krann's forward, wide strikes punctuating each inch of gained ground.

As Krann swing downwards in a particularly strong strike, Ruby barely had the time to semblance out of the weapon's path as the sphere atop it separated, a chain attaching it the shaft of the weapon as it flew out to extend her range. Ruby had just enough time to shield herself with Crescent Rose as she noticed the tell tale signs of burn Dust igniting within the hollowed out orb. The explosive impact with the ground sent debris flying in every direction, most smashing against Crescent Rose and all of it somehow missing Krann.

Having finally put some distance between herself and the club-turned-flail wielding girl, Ruby took a moment to check the aura gauges of them both. The few uses of her semblance had lowered her own aura slightly, but what caught Ruby by surprise was the noticeable drop of Krann's aura despite not having received a single hit. Taking a confused glance at the girl, now spinning the flail head in circles, all she saw on her features was the reoccurring smirk that she was beginning to associate with the girl's appearance.

Deciding to file away that fact for later, Ruby's smile returned as she newly admired the weapon. "A Dust powered impact blast, huh? I guess that answers my questions about what it does." Ruby returned back into her battle stance, her smile growing at the prospect of fighting against the surprise filled girl even more.

"Long as I can smash in some Grimm skull's with it, it works fine for me," came Krann's nonchalant response as she started stepping towards the Huntress again, flail head still spinning wildly as she grinned. With a momentary pause, she was back to charging at Ruby, swinging the chained mace head in broad sweeps, each impact with the floor of the arena scattering debris randomly.

As Ruby ducked under a shower of rocks and stones, she made to lunge forward to attack until something pulled her back. Glancing back for the reason why she was immobile, she found the most recent impact's debris pinning her cloak down. Trying to tug herself free, Ruby was forced to block a few of the heavy hitting strikes from the flail. Finally freeing her cloak, Ruby fired a shot to distance herself from Krann, trying to analyze the situation.

Every shot Ruby had fired had missed its mark, not an uncommon event for most Hunters, but for Ruby's normally pinpoint accuracy with Crescent Rose, it was certainly odd. Each swing of her blade would glance past the girl, while Krann's own strikes seemed to make split second changes in trajectory. Even Krann's missed strikes were odd, constantly striking at the ground to send out debris. Further more, despite Ruby's lack of connecting strikes and shots, Krann's aura had been depleting at a steady rate.

' _Her semblance can't actually be luck, right? She keeps charging in recklessly, but her weapon is acting weird and I can't even get a hit on her. It's like she's…untouchable…'_ Ruby's internal dialogue trailed off as a familiar feeling set in, her eyes lighting up in realization as she quickly figured out the odd series of event throughout the fight. "I've got it!"

Ruby's sudden shout startled everyone, Krann included as she stared at the Huntress with a disbelieving look, doubting someone could figure out the trick so quickly. Shaking off the uneasiness, Krann's smirk returned as she charged at the red reaper. "Lets see how confident you are about that, huh?"

Ruby sent a small smirk Krann's way as she met her charge with her semblance, provoking Krann to swing her flail. The expected impact didn't come as Ruby continued past the confused girl, petals filling the air as she kept her rapid pace, sending gusts of wind in every direction. Realization set in for Krann, grimacing as Ruby appeared in front of her in mid strike. For the first time in the fight, Crescent Rose connected fully with the unruly girl, sending her flying across the arena.

The students in the stands were shocked, knowing fully well of Krann's seemingly unending luck that made her impossible to hit in battle. Sparing a glance at the aura displays, Krann was met with her own bar well into the yellow from the hit, Ruby's own still green, the slightest drop from her semblance use. Glancing back at Ruby's satisfied smile, Krann's grin returned. "I ain't fought anyone who's figured out my semblance in forever. This'll be fun."

Rising back into a sprint at the newly knowledgeable Huntress, the battle continued noticeably less one sided.

* * *

Krann lay collapsed on the floor of the arena, trying to desperately catch her breath. It had been ages since she was last pushed so far in a fight. Sparing a tired glance at the aura monitor, she saw the red of what remained of her aura. Ruby's had barely even dipped since her revelation, leaving Krann a bit disappointed, yet satisfied. "Guess I can't compare to a professional yet."

An outstretched hand drifted into her few as she stared at the ceiling. Tiredly taking hold, Krann was hoisted up to meet the smiling face of the Huntress who just defeated her so easily. A quick shake of hands showed the equal enjoyment of the fight from both sides.

"Your semblance lets you move wind, right?" Krann's only response was the widening of her eyes, previously unsure if the red clad Huntress had truly deciphered her ability in the midst of battle. With a smile and tilt of her head, Ruby continued, undisturbed by the girl's shocked look. "You use the wind to avoid bullets and move yours and your opponents weapon. All the rocks and stuff you send flying with your flail gives you a bunch of extra weapons too. So, I used my semblance to mess with the wind flows."

Krann's face was practically dumbfounded at how accurate the professional Huntress' summarization of her semblance had been. Passing her semblance off as being luck based had given her an advantage in all of her previous duels, giving the other students that she was simply unbeatable. Krann was just thankful Ruby's voice was low enough to not be heard by the other students.

Smirking slightly at the questioning look on Krann's face at having been figured out so easily, Ruby thought it fair to explain. "I had a friend whose semblance let her manipulate a fight and seem invincible when I was here at Beacon. Only a few people knew what it actually was, so to others she looked untouchable." Ruby's smile faltered slightly as the girl's reckless streak in combat became clear to her, fearing what that arrogance might lead to. "Try not to depend on your semblance too much, alright?"

The concern in her tone had Krann nodding slightly, taking the veteran Huntress' words to heart as she made her way back to stands where her team awaited her.

Glynda stepped forward as the quiet talk between the two ended. With a quick wave of her riding crop, the blast holes and scattered debris repaired themselves, bringing a twinkle to Ruby's eyes, as she always enjoyed Glynda's ability to make mass repairs.

"Since it appears Mrs. Rose still has plenty of energy, who would like to go next?" Glynda's voice rang out throughout the stadium, her eyes scanning over the noticeably nervous students. They'd just seen the supposedly invincible brawler of team SKRA go down as if she were a child fighting an adult. And with the clear difference in strength, they may as well have been children compared to the experienced Huntress.

None of this seemed to matter to Regalia, as she slowly stood from her seat. The clacking of her metal boots echoed as she stepped down the stairs, her braided violet hair flowing behind her. Golden metal bands the same shade as her eyes, ran down the length of her arms, ending in twin gauntlets as she used her weapon to precede her steps as if it were a staff. Despite the regal appearance of her shining armor, only one thing stood out to Ruby as the young Huntress-in-training stood before her in the center of the arena.

"You're gonna fight in a dress?"

Ruby was swiftly reminded of Weiss as an irritated glare stared her down. The deep purple gown flowed beneath the series of armor pieces as Regalia held her weapon loosely at her side, an indignant huff escaping her lips. "Both you and your daughter wear dresses to do combat in, so why is it that I am the strange one?"

"Hey, they're _Combat Skirts_!"

Two voices rang out, Ruby and Amaranth sharing a quick glance with each other, the former dissolving into giggles as the latter's face turned the same shade as her name.

As her giggling fit died down, Ruby took note of Regalia's long weapon with renewed interest, her weapon enthusiast side pulling itself back to the surface. "Wow, that weapon is so cool~. What's its name?" Ruby limited her line of questioning this time, expecting a similar response as from Krann about keeping it's secrets hidden. But knowing it's name couldn't hurt, right?

A smug smirk tugged at Regalia's lips, satisfied at Ruby's obvious interest in her weapon. "You have good taste in weaponry, Mrs. Rose. My name is Regalia Ostrum, of the Ostrum nobility of Atlas," was Regalia's response, chest puffed out and her head held high, clearly proud of her upbringing.

Holding her weapon out in front of her, Regalia gave Ruby a proper look at the halberd. The shaft of the polearm was decorated in swatches of rich silks, various shades of purple giving it an elegant appearance. The axe blade was crafted of the same golden metal as the girl's armor, gleaming with a shine more befitting a decorative piece than a weapon of combat. "This halberd has been passed down through the Ostrum family for generations. It is a symbol of our eternal strength and noble birth. It's fitting name is Basilium Arma."

Ruby's wide eyes looked over the gleaming weapon eagerly, her mind having ignored the majority of the noble girl's speech aside from the name of the weapon before her. Unfortunately, even that hadn't been fully heard. "Basiliu…uh, what?"

"I just call it Basil," Krann's voice 'helpfully' supplied from the stands.

"It is not an herb, you ignorant buffoon! I demand you cease referring to it as such and show it the proper respect!" Regalia's incensed shout was only met with uncontrolled laughter from Krann, having fully recovered from her bout with Ruby. With an irritated huff, Regalia turned back to the Huntress before her. Ruby chuckled nervously as her glare settled on her, knowing from experience with Weiss that sparing against an annoyed Huntress was an ill advised venture.

"W-Well, name aside, it's a pretty neat weapon," Ruby stammered out in an attempt to pacify the angry noble. The softening glare thankfully told Ruby that it worked, much more comfortable to not be fighting an irritated girl with a long weapon. With the clearing of her throat, Glynda brought both of their attentions back to topic, the aura display for both Ruby and Regalia on the monitor. Ruby's aura had already recovered a bit from the small loss she experienced during her battle with Krann, the idle banter a good passing of the time.

Ruby took up her fighting stance, Crescent Rose positioned for her to choose between a dash or swing as she watched Regalia take a loose stance, the end of her weapon resting on the ground. To Ruby's eyes, the position didn't seem arrogant or over confident, so she wasn't sure what to expect from the odd stance. As Glynda called out the start of the match, Regalia's first action was to slam the blunt end of her polearm to the floor.

Ruby watched wide-eyed as a purple mist formed alongside Regalia, before forming into the shimmering form of an armored knight, equipped with a sword and shield. Watching the knight step in front of Regalia, Ruby saw her take up a proper polearm stance, the long weapon reaching far past normal melee striking area, putting her range on par with Ruby's. ' _So it can fight on it's own? It looks like Sun's clones, too. She's only made one though,'_ Ruby thought to herself as she studied the knight. Semblances that created some form of battle companion often had trade offs. So long as Ruby could figure out which were the knight's, she could fight it properly. ' _Since she started off creating it, it's probably long lasting. It doesn't look as powerful as Weiss' summons though, so if I just treat it like another person, I should be fine.'_

Settled on the idea that her duel had turned into a two on one, Ruby took note of the two's relation to each other. The knight had immediately stepped in front of Regalia, and with her long weapon, it told Ruby that she would be fighting in the role of support or range. Coming up with a quick plan, Ruby charge forward with her semblance.

The knight stepped into Ruby's attack, and while it's strength wasn't great, the mere fact that it so readily had leapt in front of her threw off her strike. Capitalizing on Ruby's moment of off-balance, Regalia's halberd thrust past the knight. Ducking under the strike, Ruby took a full swing at the spectral guardian, hoping to shatter it with a strong enough blow like the similar semblances of her friends. The knight stayed solid however, merely being sent skidding across the arena floor. Trying to make the best of the opportunity to take Regalia on without her protector, Ruby turned towards the girl only to be forced to dodge as a Dust infused bolt flew past her. Regalia's halberd had shifted into a crossbow, each shot of Dust powered arrows forcing Ruby to evade.

Ruby used her semblance to put some distance between the two as she saw the knight rising and returning to it's master, Crescent Rose shifting into it's sniper form as she met Regalia's bolts with her own bullets. As Ruby expected, the knight immediately began defending it's charge, shield raised to intercept the Huntress' fired rounds as Regalia fired around it like a castle turret.

Pulling out one of the Dust magazines given to her by Weiss, Ruby quickly reloaded her scythe before continuing her barrage against the knight, her semblance allowing her to dodge her Dust bolt Regalia fired at her. Plumes of ice formed on the knight's shield with each impacting bullet, floral designs reminiscent of Weiss and Ruby's 'Ice Flower' tactic. Ruby made a mental note to thank Weiss later, as she watched the knight be forced to abandon it's over encumbered shield to remain standing.

Charging back into melee range, Ruby fought back the knight, now only armed with a single sword and faring poorly against the skilled swings of the scythe wielder. Regalia attempted to support the knight with her crossbow, but had little effect as Ruby's constant semblance used gave her minimal chances to take an accurate shot. Knocking the knight away as it's guard dropped, Ruby quickly turned on Regalia, forcing her weapon back to a halberd as the two polearm wielding warriors clashed in a series of wide slashes. Regalia's talent in melee combat, however, wasn't at the level of the boisterous brawler of her team, unable to beat the Huntress in a duel of blades as she took a number of hits, her aura dropping into the yellow and drawing closer to the red.

Seeing her knight rising from the corner of her eye, Regalia attempted to hold Ruby's attention long enough for it to assist her again. After a particularly strong swing from Ruby's scythe sent her staggering off balance, she watched the experience Huntress fire another shot of ice Dust at the knight's legs, immobilizing it entirely. Desperately trying to regain her stand to defend herself, Regalia watched as Ruby disappeared in a flurry of petals, before feeling the blade of Crescent Rose resting against her neck from behind.

Letting out a resigned sigh, Regalia took a final look at the aura display, her own having just reached the red even as Ruby's was barely lower than the start of the battle. Feeling the scythe blade pull away, Regalia slumped to the floor tiredly, her knight dissipating as she tried to catch her breath. Noting the hand appearing in front of her face, Regalia looked up at the smiling expression of the Huntress offering to help her up.

With a small huff, Regalia pushed herself into a standing position, her halberd helping to support her weight as she ignored the offered hand. "Even after fighting an unfair battle where you were outnumbered, you still show courtesy to your opponent," Regalia spoke out, trying to retain her air of confidence, but only coming out as shaky breaths. Looking the silver-eyed Huntress with the curious expression on her face, she spoke out sincerely to the woman who bested her. "Though I still find your…'demeanor' strange, you are one with a noble soul. Well fought, Mrs. Rose."

A rare smile covered Regalia's face, being returned easily by Ruby's own as she made her way back into the stands, her team welcoming her back as she sat down tiredly. Ruby looked over to Glynda, who had been taking note of Ruby's aura to decide whether to continue with the duels. Sharing a quick glance, Ruby nodded with her usual eager smile. With Ruby's approval, Glynda approached the class again.

"Mrs. Rose is willing to continue the sparring training, if there is anyone who wishes to volunteer." Glynda's calculating gaze scoured the entire stands full of students. They were noticeably more nervous about the idea of challenging the scythe wielder, having watched her defeat the normally invincible fighter of their class, as well as having fought off essentially two combats at once, with minimal time to rest. The still green aura bar clearly showed off the difference in stamina that was required of a Huntress who spent days in the uncharted wilds combatting Grimm.

Glynda was about ready to deem the sparing sessions over, until the raised hand of a student caught her eye. Although her expression didn't show it, surprise was all that went through her mind as she locked eyes with the leader of team SKRA, Sora Mizu. The students' expressions, however, clearly showed their disbelief. The normally calm Sora never made requests for duels, only fighting against other students when the Professor chose the day's sparring combatants. Despite the rare showing of her abilities, the entire class knew of her amazing level of tranquility even during combat. Sora adapted to situations impossibly fast, and no move seemed to work on her twice. It was with slow realization that she had been watching both of Ruby's fights intently, leading many to be curious just how much she had learned of the Huntress' fighting capabilities in just two matches to be confident enough for Ruby to be the first person she challenged.

Having heard no means of opposition, Sora made her way down the stairs, taking a position in front of the red Huntress. Ruby smiled warmly at the girl, eager to see how the leader of her daughter's team fought. Sora returned it with her own soothing smile, the relaxed demeanor, reminding Ruby of the book loving Faunus of her team. The rest of team SKRA shared nervous glances, the hero-worshipping Sora that kept them together being replaced with the rare tranquil slayer of Grimm that they'd come to respect as their leader. With a deep bow, Sora addressed Ruby with a sense of calmness that put the entire stadium on edge.

"I look forward to battling you, Ruby Rose."

* * *

 **A/N: I had planned for all 4 duels to be in one chapter, but this one was starting to run long and didn't have as many breaks as the last chapter. So, I decided to split Sora and Amaranth's duels into the next chapter. Amaranth's in particular will be rather long, as it'll be Rose against Rose!**

 **For those who caught the little Pyhrra reference, I did originally plan for that part to be there, but after today's episode, i added a bit to increase the impact. I'm still hopeful about the outcome, but the lesson is still there.**

 **For those interested, heres a brief breakdown of Krann and Regalia, as a bit of back-story on how I made them. I dunno how many are interested, but I figure it's here for those who are:**

 **Krann Duille (name origin-Irish) 'crann duille' literally means tree leaf. Her color motif is green and her personality is meant to be down to earth, and once she settles on something, shes as immovable as a tree. Her weapon was modeled after an Irish cane called a shillelagh, and it's name, Seamair, is Irish for Clover. A luck based semblance seemed too powerful, but I thought I could tweak it so it only seemed luck based at first glance. I tweaked the word 'crann' for the sake of the team name, spelling it with a k.**

 **Regalia Ostrum (name origin-Latin) literally translated as regal purple. Purple was often seen as the color of royalty, as only upper class could afford the purple dyes used in clothing. Her color motif is purple and her appearance is a mix between a princess and a knight. Her weapon's name, Basilium Arma, literally translates to Royal Weapon. I was thinking of shorter ways to write it, and thought it'd be fun for Krann to call it Basil.**

 **With all of that said, thank you for reading. Thank you to those who reviewed, as it helps encourage me that i'm doing at least something right, hehe.**

 **Take care, and keep moving forward.**

 **~Nekonyaneko**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again! Thanks again to all who've read, favorited/followed, and reviewed. I'm glad i've been able to do something right for people to have liked this story.**

 **For those who haven't seen, I have another story started up as a bunch of one-shots. This will be my main focus until I finish it, but afterwords any random ideas I have will be found in Red, White, and Pink.**

 **Anyways, onto the remainder of the duels! Hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY and it's characters belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

 **Learning from History**

Chapter 4

Silence was all that filled the student packed stadium as the two smiling Huntresses stood across from each other. Their lack of tension only seemed to increase everyone else's, an eerie sense of the calm before a storm.

Sora's feet separated as she took a loose stance, her midnight blue hakama flowing with her movement. The black chest plate on her torso moved with her, as a single gloved hand rested on the hilt of her sheathed sword. She drew it slowly, the sound of metal grinding cutting through the silence with each inch, before holding the blade in front of herself with both hands.

Finally pulling herself out of her shock, Glynda stepped back to the instructor's stand, her fingers rapidly trying to make up for lost time as she set up the aura display. Ruby, unaware of the oddity of the situation that everyone else seemed to feel, simply smiled at the young girl before her.

"So you're the leader of Ammy's team, right?" Ruby eagerly asked, a sparkle in her eyes from meeting not only another friend of her daughter's, but also her team leader. Sora's eyes never left her own, her smile as unwavering as when she stepped into the arena.

"That is correct. My name is Sora Mizu, and I am the leader of team SKRA," Sora replied easily, her stance completely relaxed, yet not moving an inch as she spoke. Ruby wasn't even sure if the girl had blinked since she began staring her down. "It is an honor to have the opportunity to battle you, Ruby Rose."

"You can just call me Ruby," the named Huntress stated casually, her own posture relaxed even as she took in the young girl's unfaltering readiness. Her silver eyes glanced along the shining blade held in front of Sora eagerly, her excitement at seeing so many new weapons starting to get the better of her. "So, what's your sword's name? I doubt you'll tell me anything else about it."

The blade shone brightly, the immaculately white color of a cloud. In Sora's hands, it seemed to almost be weightless, providing no visible burden on the girl. A Dust canister imbedded in the hilt told Ruby that the blade had more functions than simply cutting, but as to what they were, she was unable to tell. Lowering the blade ever so slightly, Sora spoke out in the same calm voice, her tone seemingly unable to fluctuate. "It's name is Kaze, and that assumption would be correct, Ruby Rose."

The continued use of her full name unnerved Ruby slightly, as she looked past the blindingly white blade at the two sky blue eyes on either side. The sight reminded her of the sky, a colorful void that seemed to have no limit. Ruby was dragged out of her trance as Sora's voice spoke up again. "After all, knowledge of one's opponents is crucial. Currently, I have the advantage in those regards."

Ruby had felt an odd feeling of being watched during her previous fights, but had simply chalked it up to a class full of students seeing her battle. Realizing the intent gaze had belonged to the leader of SKRA, Ruby recognized how much she had witness of her skillset. She had made ample use of her semblance during her fight with Krann, and had resorted to her prototype Dust bullets given to her by Weiss in her attempts to overcome Regalia's knight.

' _So, she's and observer, huh?'_ Ruby thought to herself, her body instinctively taking up a battle stance as she reassessed the calm demeanor of the smiling Huntress in front of her. What she mistook for serenity was actually the quiet confidence of someone who had entirely memorized a piece of information by heart. ' _She might be tougher than I thought.'_

Taking notice of both combatants in a ready stance, Glynda finished the last of the preparations. Looking briefly between the two Huntresses staring each other down, pulled the attention to herself before calling the start of the match.

In an instant, Ruby had rushed forward with her semblance, only to be met by Sora's blade anticipating her path. Metal clashed with metal as sword and scythe connected. Firing a shot from Crescent Rose, Ruby attempted to pull the girl's weapon from her hands. Receiving far less resistance than she expected however, threw Ruby off balance as Sora flew into the air with her blade. Trying to take advantage of the airborne girl's vulnerability, Ruby quickly moved her scythe in for another strike.

Only to swing through empty air, as Sora managed to redirect herself in mid flight. Launching herself towards Ruby like an arrow forced Ruby to have to dodge the strike with her Semblance. Before hitting the ground, Sora redirected herself yet again in Ruby's direction, giving her no time to reposition her large weapon.

Ruby was unable to bring Crescent Rose up to defend or attack, as Sora seemed to fly around her, extremely limiting her range of movement as the girl seemed to control the entire air space around her. Finally finding a moment to raise her scythe, Ruby clashed with Sora in mid air. She could only stare as the young Huntress was seemingly bracing herself using the air itself, not moving back an inch as the two struggled against each other's strength. ' _Some kind of air stepping semblance?'_

With hardly a second to think on Sora's abilities, the two pushed away from each other. Ruby shifted Crescent Rose into sniper form to take on Sora at range, but watched in awe as her blade split and bent in the middle, a string of Dust running from the hilt to tip in the appearance of a bow. As Sora pulled back the bowstring comprised out of Dust, Ruby quickly opened fire as she realized the melee clashing had turned into a firefight.

Bullets met Dust arrows in the center of the arena, each clash sending elemental plumes and metal shrapnel scattering. The light weight of the blade seemed to translate into draw speed for the bow form, each arrow in time with Ruby's shots. Any lack of accuracy in Sora's shots was seemingly corrected by Dust detonations as the bullets neared them, the long-range stalemate obvious to both as they shifted back to their melee weapons.

A petal trailing dash met an air pushed leap as each blade struck each other again.

* * *

Sparing a momentary glance at the aura display during a lull in between strikes, Ruby saw her own aura dipping into the yellow. Sora's aura had dipped much lower, but the prolonged fight was taking its toll on both. Ruby realized she needed to end the fight sooner, rather than later.

Racking her brain for ideas drudged up nothing. Every trick she pulled out was something Sora had witnessed during the previous bouts, and already had a counter devised. Every switch to range was anticipated with fired arrows, and each dash of her semblance was met with a blade in mid swing. The few tactics that allowed Ruby to get a strike in would cease to work the second time, Sora having memorized it after seeing it only once.

Ruby only had one idea that could end this fight before it became a battle of attrition.

The clatter of metal on stone as Ruby ejected the magazine from Crescent Rose surprised Sora. With a small smirk at seeing the analyzing girl caught off guard, Ruby reached back into her pouch of ammo. Loading a magazine emblazoned with a cross instantly put Sora on guard, preparing to withstand another unknown attack before learning to combat it. Raising Crescent Rose behind her, Ruby prepared herself, flaring her semblance slightly as she pulled the trigger.

The world blurred around her as she was launched forward, Crescent Rose's blade shifting parallel to the shaft as Ruby spun herself in mid air. Sora barely had the time for her eyes to widen before she was hit by the spinning whirlwind that was Ruby. Her aura dropped rapidly as strikes came out of nowhere, the direction impossible to keep up with as rose petals spun around Sora in a tornado. One shot from Crescent Rose sent Sora flying across the arena, her sword clattering to the ground alongside her.

Sora's attempts to catch her breath were all that cut through the silence of the stadium, her eyes tiredly watching rose petals still drifting through the air. Though she knew the result, she shifted her head to glance at the aura display. Her aura was clearly in the red, nearly out as she saw just how much damage had been done in that single storm of strikes. Ruby's own aura, however, had dipped noticeably into the yellow from her last attack, showing Sora the double-edged aspect of an attack that powerful. A hand reaching into her view pulled her attention back.

Ruby smiled down at Sora happily, albeit a bit tiredly. Pulling the girl up to her feet, she sent her a grin as she patted her shoulder lightly. "You're pretty good! I see why you're a leader," Ruby exclaimed excitedly, her voice completely void of any signs of the battle. "You've got one of those, uh, picture memories, right?"

"Photographic memory, is the term," Sora corrected, a habit from her team, specifically Krann. Quickly realizing whom she was speaking too, Sora hastily added onto her statement. "I-I mean, yes, you're right Mrs. Rose. U-Uh, I mean R-Ruby." Sora corrected herself, remembering her refusal to refer to her casually as her mind was in a combative state. Her hero-worship was pulling itself back to the surface to fluster her, now that she had been reminded of the difference between their abilities.

"No worries, Weiss is correcting me all the time," Ruby replied good-naturedly, chuckling softly as she recalled the many times Weiss would interrupt her to fix her grammar. Ruby sent Sora another smile as she flashed her a thumbs up. "And your semblance is really neat. I bet it makes fighting Nevermores super easy!"

Stuttering out denials as a near legend of a Huntress gave her praises, Sora was thankful as Professor Goodwitch stepped up to the two with the clearing of her throat. Sora made her way back into the stands after thanking Ruby for the match, an even stronger sense of respect for the professional Huntress growing in her.

As Glynda looked over the Ruby's aura gauge, she had to decide whether to let Ruby keep fighting or not. Ruby's repeated fights and constant use of her aura and put her halfway through the yellow, and though not visibly tired, Glynda knew her stamina wasn't infinite. Taking into consideration Ruby's dwindling supply of ammo, Glynda made her decision.

"Mrs. Rose can only handle so many battles one after another. I'm afraid I will have to call today's class-"

"Wait!" The rapid pace of boots running down the stairs startled both Glynda and Ruby. The hem of the girl's dress, sorry, _combat skirt_ flared with each step. White and red locks swayed as the Amaranth came to a stop in front of Glynda, a pleading look on her face. "Please, let me fight."

Glynda glanced to Ruby, who sported a similar look of surprise. Catching notice of Glynda's questioning gaze, Ruby nodded with a small smile. Letting out a soft sigh as she looked between the two Roses, Glynda stepped back to the instructor's area as she already began reconfiguring the aura displays. "Very well, if Mrs. Rose is fine with it."

Sighing in relief as her request was accepted, Amaranth made her way to the opposite end of the arena. Her black boots rang out clearly in the stadium, any chatter having been cut short as the students were intent on the battle between mother and daughter. The hem of Amaranth's combat skirt flowed freely with each step, transitioning from pink lace upwards to a white blouse. A piece of pink cloth draped down her right shoulder, the emblem of the Schnees glowing faintly as the hint to Dust weaving. A small bit of pride tugged at Ruby's heart as she saw the earrings in the shape of her rose hanging from Amaranth's ears.

As Amaranth turned, two pairs of silver eyes met. Ruby's smile only grew, prompting Amaranth to smile slightly as nostalgia reared up, reminding her of past sparring sessions. Hoping to show her mother what she had learned and how much she had progressed since then, Amaranth put on a confident smile. "No holding back against me, alright Mom?"

"Don't worry, I learned not to after last time," Ruby replied with a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of head sheepishly. Ruby had never seen her daughter with so much of her wife's traits as the time Amaranth lectured her for hours about showing her the proper respect during a duel. Trying to seek support from Weiss was a bad idea, her wife simply giving her a glare that spoke of her full agreement with Amaranth.

Amaranth nodded, satisfied with Ruby's reaction. Her hand moved to draw her elegant saber, holding it in front of her with a single hand as she took up a fencer's stance. It always disappointed Ruby a bit that Amaranth took after Weiss' style more than her own. An off hand remark to Weiss caused her to point out that the steep curve of the falchion was a homage to her scythe, letting Ruby happily know she contributed to Amaranth's desire to be a Huntress.

The curved blade shone in the lights of the arena, every bit as elegant as Myrtenaster before it. Veins ran along the length of the blade, pulsing lightly as Dust flowed through them. The pistol shaped hilt gave Amaranth a firm grip even with a single hand, her empty one hanging at her side, tense and ready. Ruby had practically squealed in excitement when Amaranth reluctantly revealed her weapons name after it's forging. Rosenrot.

Glynda watched as Ruby raised Crescent Rose into a battle stance, mother and daughter staring each other down in silent communication. She actually held an interest in this fight, duels between two Huntresses who had known each other for years being a rarity. Seeing the tension of the students grow as both Roses stood ready, Glynda prepared herself for what she hoped would be an impressive display on both sides.

"Begin."

In a flash of petals, Ruby had crossed the arena floor, Crescent Rose swinging down before being caught in a silvery pink glyph, Amaranth knowing her mother's habit to charge at the start of a battle. A shot from Ruby's scythe gave it enough power to shatter through her glyph, her blade rising to deflect the blow, knowing her mother's weapon surpassed her own in sheer stopping power. Propelling herself away with a glyph, Amaranth fired Dust infused shots out of her saber as her free hand littered the arena with glyphs.

Batting away each shot with a swing from her scythe, Ruby eyed each glyph being made, trying to figure out the pattern that would help her anticipate Amaranth's strategy. Catching on, Ruby fired a shot to escape the grasp of a black holding glyph as she noticed Amaranth using a haste glyph beneath herself. Years of fighting Ruby taught her that minimizing the difference in speed between the two was crucial.

Moving at a speed much closer to Ruby's, Amaranth bounded from each raised glyph, Crescent Rose and Rosenrot clashing as the two passed each other, Dust bullets colliding as the two rushed around the arena. Each glyph Amaranth formed was matched by Ruby shattering one. Using her glyphs as platforms only gave her temporary air superiority, Ruby's pinpoint shots breaking glyphs moments after her feet left their surface.

Using a glyph to propel herself downwards, Amaranth launched herself at Ruby in a spin, mimicking her move from earlier. Her sword trailed Dust as she spun, turning herself into a flaming vortex as she spun towards Ruby. Rose petals were caught in the flames as Ruby used her semblance to escape the tornado of fire, ice Dust infused bullets negating the heat. A glyph and petal filled rush had the two clashing again, multiple Dust elements filling the arena with each strike of metal and fired shot.

Crescent Rose's weight allowed it to push back the lighter Rosenrot, Ruby's swing pushing Amaranth back a few feet. Throwing her scythe out akin to a spinning buzz saw forced Amaranth to defend against the brunt of the attack. Catching her scythe back in her grip, Ruby turned into a spin before planting the blade of her scythe into the ground, taking rapid shots at Amaranth as she struggled to regain mobility.

Unable to evade, Amaranth threw up glyph after glyph as a shield. Each bullet from Crescent Rose had enough impact to render her glyphs as single use, giving her no spare time, as she had to recreate her shield each time. Taking a chance, Amaranth abandoned the idea of creating a shield, using her next glyph to propel herself out of the line of fire, even as she felt a few shots batter her aura.

Hurling herself at Ruby, Amaranth hoped to catch her while her scythe was still embedded in the ground. Evading a Dust infused swing, Ruby leapt on top of Crescent Rose, redirecting Amaranth's charge with a kick. Pressing the trigger with her foot, Ruby sent Crescent Rose and herself spinning from the recoil, Amaranth right in her path. Barely blocking the wild strike, Amaranth was pushed back in midair, the momentum of the massive scythe easily overpowering her own weight. Barely managing to get her feet back to solid ground, Amaranth skid to a stop as she tried to catch her breath, Ruby mirroring her.

"You've gotten really good, Ammy," Ruby breathlessly said with a proud smile as she switched in a fuller magazine. Watching Amaranth refill the Dust vial in her sword's hilt, Ruby noticed the changes since she'd last seen it. "You've even been modding your weapon. Oh~ I'm so proud!"

Amaranth cleared her throat bashfully, a light dusting of pink on her face. Though she had taken more of her Mother's fighting style due to their shared semblance, Amaranth was always awed by Ruby's skills. Inheriting Weiss' desire to make her parents proud was an awkward struggle, when Ruby so easily expressed how much she was. "C-Can we talk about weapons later, Mom? We're in the middle of a fight right now, after all…"

"Oh! Sure thing, Ammy!" Ruby happily exclaimed with a gleeful laugh, already dropping back into a ready stance, prepared to let her daughter reinitiate the fight. Amaranth similarly retook up her stance, sword leveled in front of her as she tried to come up with a plan.

The last few hits had given her aura a large drop, having gained most of her stamina from Weiss. Ruby's had been dwindling slowly as well though, as the constant anticipating of her movements forced her semblance into working overtime. Knowing she would run out of aura much quicker than her mother, Amaranth settled on an all or nothing plan, despite her lack of mastery of the glyph yet.

With a glyph pushing her forward, Amaranth charged at Ruby, sword meeting scythe as they clashed again. Though Ruby was the superior melee combatant, Amaranth just needed to distract her long enough for her to form a glyph above the two. Her ability to use the glyph properly in combat was low enough already; trying to match Ruby in a battle of blades while doing so, made it an ordeal.

Just as a powerful swing from Crescent Rose sent her skidding back, the hovering glyph completed. Finally noticing, Ruby had just enough time to evade with her semblance as a claw swiped down at her. Regaining her footing, Ruby looked back towards Amaranth, a small bit of surprise filling her eyes as she saw a glowing white Beowolf shielding her as she caught her breath. ' _She can summon now? Ohmygosh! I can't wait to tell Weiss!'_

Too excited with her daughter's progress, Ruby barely noticed the Beowolf rushing towards her; it's summoner safely behind it firing Dust shots. Blocking the shots as she evaded the wide sweeps on the beast's claws, Ruby could barely react to the glyphs forming around her.

As Amaranth leapt onto the glyphs to begin another series of launching strikes, Ruby continued trying to fight back the Beowolf, struggling significantly more with it's sense of will than Regalia's single purpose knight. The coordinated strikes from Amaranth's sword and the Beowolf's claws had Ruby on the defensive, her aura dropping lower and lower, even as Amaranth's drew closer to the red each second the creature made of aura existed.

Taking a gamble, Ruby lowered her guard in front of the Beowolf, as Amaranth lunged at her from behind. Seeing her defenses drop, the beast swung it's arm down as Amaranth neared. Realizing too late her mother's plan, Amaranth slid into a shower of petals, holding her sword up in a desperate block as the claw smashed down at her. Sliding back along the floor from the force, Amaranth watched as her glyphs and summon faded, the last of her aura running out.

Petals filled her vision as Ruby's smiling face came into view. Accepting the offered hand, Amaranth was lifted to her feet tiredly, glancing at the aura monitor. Well into the red was Amaranth's, as she had expected. Ruby's aura was just a sliver into yellow, however, giving her a small bit of pride in her accomplishments, even with the knowledge that Ruby's aura was half full at the start of their fight.

"Ammy, you were so totally amazing!" Ruby's loud scream of praise was quickly followed up by a tight hug, Amaranth's sore body protesting the rough display of affection. Managing to pry herself out of her mother's grip, Amaranth sent her a smile even as she continued to ramble. "Your glyphs have gotten so good and you've gotten really good with Dust just like Weiss and she'll be so excited to hear you can summon now because that was so surprising and I was like 'Ohmygosh a Beowolf!' and I was just totally freaking out!"

"Mom, calm down," Amaranth finally interrupted, knowing how long Ruby's rambling could go if not stopped. Ruby managed to close her mouth, though her body was practically shaking in contained excitement. With an exasperated sigh and a small smile, Amaranth offered a compromise. "We can tell Mother about my summoning together later, alright?"

Ruby let out a cheer of glee even as Glynda walked over. Sighing softly as she could still only see the eager young Huntress from so many years ago, Glynda turned to the class with an unnoticeable smile. "That will be all for class today. I hope you all learned something from our gracious guest. Dismissed." Glynda made her way out of the stadium as students slowly filled out, talking excitedly about the duels. A burst of rose petals had Ruby walking next to her; already going into 'proud parent' mode as she gushed to her former Professor about how much Amaranth had progressed.

As Amaranth rejoined with the rest of team SKRA, the chatter between them was few and far between. A duel against a professional Huntress gave each of them a lot to think about, as they became all too aware of the difference between their ideals and reality. Amaranth in particular was reminded of a question she'd had for years, yet still didn't have an answer for.

She couldn't understand the connection between the smiling face of her mother, and the near legendary skills of the _Huntress Ruby Rose_.

* * *

 **A/N: Every fight needs a dramatic, near tie!**

 **Thanks again for those who've read to here, I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are always welcome so I know whether i'm doing something right or horribly, horribly wrong. So thank you in advance to those who do!**

 **Similar to last chapter, here is a bit of info on Sora and Amaranth, for those interested:**

 **Sora Mizu (name origin - Japanese): "sora mizu" literally means sky blue/water, depending on the translation. Her color theme is blue and her motif apperance is a combination of japanese archers and temple priestess dress. Her personality is normally very calm and flexible, easily adapting to a situation. Similar to Ruby's weapon loving side, however, she can be very excitable around professional Hunters. Krann nicknamed her "Fangirl." Her weapon, Kaze, means wind, and is meant to allude to a cloud. Her semblance similarly lets her air step, giving her alot of aerial mobility.**

 **Amaranth Rose-Schnee: I figure this should be obvious, but, red and white make pink! I just picked the shade of pink i thought made the best name. Her personality is a mix of Ruby and Weiss. She tries to act prim and proper, but put cookies in front of her and she'll devour them with a sweetooth rivaling Ruby's. Her appearance is likewise a mix between Ruby and Weiss, and the draping on her shoulder was my way of giving her a mini cloak ("It's not a cloak!") It's totally a mini cloak. Anyways. Her weapon was the hard part, as I didn't want to just give her a scythe. Scythes are meant to be notoriously difficult to master, and with the hereditary Schnee semblance, she needed a free hand that should wouldn't have with a scythe. So, I gave her a falchion, so it was similar to Weiss' rapier while still being her own. The curved blade and name were an homage to Ruby. Myrtenaster in german means "white flowers." Rosenrot in german is "rose." So, the name is a mix of both Weiss and Ruby.**

 **So, theres a few more chapters left of this story, give or take a bit depending on how long/short they run. I had a clear idea of what plot points I wanted to hit, and essentially divided it into 3 arcs. This duel is the end of the second, and you can probably guess the third, based off of the name and the professors shown. As I said up top, once this is done, any of my one-shot ideas will go into Red, White, and Pink. This story was essentially a multi-chapter one-shot, as I don't think I'd do well with long plots.**

 **Thank you again to all who read and enjoyed.**

 **Until next time, keep moving forward.**

 **~Nekonyaneko**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello all! Thank you again to those who give this story a chance, and all of my kind reviewers, favoriters and followers.**

 **To the guest reviewer last chapter, all but the name were a happy coincidence! I fully admit to having gotten the name 'Ammy' from Okami, as I thought it was a cute nickname. (Plus, if I named her Amy, I'd be reminded of a certain pink hedgehog every time, sooo…) The rest was either an accidental or sub-conscious connection, so good catch on that!**

 **Onto the story! I hope everyone enjoys!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY and it's characters belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

 **Learning from History**

Chapter 5

Well-manicured nails typed rapidly across the keyboard, matching the pace of the influx of information on the screen. Ice blue eyes scanned every word and number to come up as Weiss approved or denied scores of contracts posed to the Schnee Dust Company. Just as she finished off one wave of reports, her fingers came to a stop above the keys as the sound of her scroll drew her attention.

Seeing the call was from Amaranth, Weiss put her work aside momentarily as she accepted. The sound that came out of her scroll was not what she was expecting.

"WEEEEIIIIISSSSS!"

Weiss flinched as Ruby's shriek of excitement ripped through the silence of her office. She could normally handle her wife's sudden increases in volume when she was expecting it. Since the call came from Amaranth's scroll however, she had not been prepared.

"Ruby, we've discussed this, you dolt. You don't need to yell, I can hear you just fine," Weiss began with a huff, her eye twitching slightly as the excited look on Ruby's face told her she hadn't heard a word. With a sigh, Weiss resigned herself to having to deal with the consistently loud level of her wife's excitement.

"Sorry! I just couldn't wait to tell you all about today!" The camera was practically shaking as Ruby bounced in place in sheer effort to contain her excitement. With a small smile at her wife's excitable nature, Weiss sat back in her chair, preparing herself to listen to the inevitable rambling of Ruby's day.

"So I got to see Glynda and she's great and hasn't aged at all except for her hair but don't mention it because I think she wants to deny it and then I got to meet all of Ammy's teammates and I got to fight them and one girl used wind and she reminded me of Yang and another girl had like a knight but not like your knight but it was still cool and then the leader was really tough and then I fought Ammy and she's gotten so super awesome and she can _summon_ -"

"Amaranth can summon now?" Weiss interrupted with a raised brow, years of listening to Ruby having honed her ability to select important bits out of Ruby's endless sentences. Weiss had been worried that Amaranth would have difficulties mastering one of the Schnee's more powerful as she did, but was relieved to hear she had been making progress.

"Yeah! It was totally awesome! She summoned a Beowolf that must've been, like, 10 feet tall!" Ruby exclaimed wildly, her hands nearly dropping the scroll as she spread her arms out to visually show the size of the Beowolf. As the camera portrayed the rapidly spinning world, Weiss caught sight of the flustered face of her daughter behind Ruby.

"I-It wasn't that big, Mom! I-It was just a baby Beowolf…I can't summon anything bigger yet…" Amaranth's voice rang out shyly. Ruby, realizing she hadn't been including her daughter in the conversation, wrapped an arm around her Amaranth as she pulled her into view of the camera. Weiss couldn't help but smile as she took in the sight of her wife's proud face and her daughter's bashful smile.

"You'll continue to improve, don't worry. You've already exceeded my rate, so I'm sure you'll be summoning Goliaths, given enough time," was Weiss' calm reassurance to her daughter. Intent to not come off as cold and uncaring as her own parents, Weiss gave praise whenever Amaranth deserved it, whether Amaranth felt she did or not.

Ruby nodded in happy agreement, hugging Amaranth to her as her face beamed a huge smile. "She was so awesome! Ammy fights so much like you, Weiss!" Ruby's eyes wandered past the scroll, widening in recognition, as Ruby seemed to catch sight of something. "Oh! It's Professor Peach! I'm gonna go say hi!"

Weiss watched as the screen shifted wildly, as Ruby presumably shoved the scroll into Amaranth's hands. The fluttering rose petals falling around her as the camera stabilized had both Schnees sighing in exasperation. The two white-haired women shared a momentary pity smile, each understanding the hardships of the other.

"So, I heard Ruby's side of the story already. How was Professor Goodwitch's class?" Weiss began softly, a more relaxing tone taking hold of the conversation as Ruby's constantly high energy drained from the situation. Glancing back at her computer, Weiss decided it could wait a few more minutes, opting to give her full attention to her daughter.

"It went pretty well. Like Mom said, my entire team ended up dueling her," Amaranth reinforced Ruby's story, albeit much more slowly. Amaranth described her teammates to Weiss, not having spoken about them at lengths, and told how each of their battles with Ruby had escalated and inevitably ended the same way. "Mom fought all of us one after another, and still showed off just how different a professional Huntress is to one in training…"

"I know you don't enjoy losing, but you've never had any particular issue after sparing with Ruby," Weiss spoke up, having noticed the gloomy tone Amaranth had through her retellings. She seemed distracted as she trailed off as she made the comparison between her team and mother. "What's on your mind, Amaranth?"

"I just…" Amaranth began, cutting herself off with a sigh as she glanced around the courtyard. Finding it mostly empty, specifically of any red clad Huntress, Amaranth's gaze returned to her mother. "I just don't understand how she can be so carefree all the time, and yet still be this amazing Huntress that no one can even seem to compare to."

"I love how kind and caring she is, don't get me wrong. And today reminded me just how skilled she really is, to the point that all of her stories don't seem that impossible," Amaranth continued, struggling to explain her confusion regarding her mother. Each side of Ruby matched well to both the role of a mother and the role of a Huntress, but Amaranth couldn't figure out how they applied so equally well to both aspects.

Weiss' hands folded together in her lap as she pondered how to explain Ruby to her daughter. She had asked herself many times how Ruby worked the way she was. To Weiss, her very existence seemed foreign and unnatural. There was no acting, no split personality; Ruby simply existed as a pure and strong being. To Weiss, she was Good incarnate.

"Have you asked her?"

"Huh?" Weiss' sudden question took Amaranth by surprise, pulling her out of her own wonderings. Locking gaze with her mother, Amaranth saw a calm expression, waiting for an honest answer even though she already knew what it would be. "No…I guess I haven't."

"Try." Weiss' short reply only sparked more confusion on Amaranth's face. Sending her a smile, Weiss continued in an attempt to clarify. "Ruby is your guest speaker today. Naturally, one of the duties she has is to answer the questions any students may have about being a Huntress. So ask her."

Amaranth's gaze dropped back to the ground, staring absently as her mind tried to work things out once more. Finally accepting that the easiest way to get an answer, would be to do as her mother suggested, she returned her eyes back to Weiss'. Nodding silently, the two shared a quiet goodbye as Amaranth ended the call.

Weiss relaxed back in her chair, her eyes closing momentarily as she let the conversation wash over her, ignoring her work for as long as she felt she could. With a sigh, Weiss pulled herself back up into a proper seating position, her fingers easily catching up with the reports that had pilled up during the call. The back of mind was filled with thoughts of her wife and daughter, knowing she'd hear the results of the day later on.

* * *

Students filed into the classroom slowly, filling the stands. Their eyes rapidly tracked the green blur zipping around the front of the classroom as the last few students were sitting down. Though the sight was a common one, the red petals trailing the line of green were certainly new to the students.

"Professor Oobleck!"

"Doctor!" came Oobleck's habitual reply. Glancing up from his mug of coffee, he saw the familiar figure of one of his favorite students, and notably one of the few people faster than him. "Mrs. Rose, so good to see you again! You look just as energetic as when I last saw you!"

"You're still pretty quick yourself, Doctor Oobleck," Ruby replied happily. Oobleck was one of the few teacher's whose pace matched Ruby's own, earning him a top spot as her favorite teacher, aside from her Uncle Qrow. "Although you seem a bit slower than I remember."

The students listening in to the conversation could only stare in shock. Their teacher moved at such a speed that note taking was impossible, most students having resorted to recorders the second day. To imagine Oobleck moving faster than he already did, was a terrifying thought.

"Yes, yes, quite unfortunate. The Beacon staff replaced all campus coffee with decaf, quite a dreadful decision in my opinion, and I've lacked the speed I once had since," complained Oobleck, his fast speech still present before taking another drink of his coffee. Ruby didn't have to heart to say that he was likely the reason for the coffee switch. As ineffective as it was.

"But enough of that, you didn't come all the way to Beacon today simply to reminisce with an old Huntsman," Oobleck switched the topic, zipping to the center of the classroom, all eyes trailing to follow him. "I'm sure you're all aware by this point of the day, but we have a guest speaker joining us, a former pupil here at Beacon and a rather promising one at that."

Ruby stepped up beside her former Professor, waving happily at the students. Ruby glanced around at the seated students, noticing a few looks of genuine interest. Stopping at team SKRA gave her the reactions she'd come to expect. Sora's excited gaze, Krann's bored slump, and Regalia's disinterested stare. What threw her off was Amaranth's neutral expression, though Ruby could see something underneath the mask. Almost like she needed to say something, yet wasn't sure how.

Before Ruby could dwell on it, Doctor Oobleck drew her attention back to the front of the class. "Now as this is history class, I shall give you all the opportunity to ask Mrs. Rose about her own history. You would do well to listen and learn from her experiences." As Oobleck finished his statement, Ruby stared in a bit of astonishment as the majority of the class' hands went up, having assumed her experience in Port's class would deter any of them from taking her seriously.

With a bit of nervous apprehension as she was put on the spot, Ruby called on the first student to hear their question.

* * *

As Ruby finished answering another question from a student, she couldn't help but feel her smile grow. Many of the students had eagerly wanted to know about her experiences, a large majority of the questions having come solely from Sora. Ruby made sure to keep her answers realistic, not wanting to give Weiss another reason to be mad later.

Most questions posed to her had been simple, asking about her time at Beacon and even more asking about her missions as a Huntress. Happily answering each one, Ruby knew it was only a matter of time before someone grew brave enough to ask a deeper question.

As Ruby called on one of the students seated in the front, her anxieties were finally confirmed.

"What was it like experiencing the Fall?"

The entire classroom had gone silent at the question. Even Doctor Oobleck, who had been noisily sipping at his coffee, grew quiet as he looked to Ruby. Sending a smile to the student who had posed the question as a silent reassurance they had done nothing wrong, Ruby took a deep breath.

The Fall of Vale.

The attack that had left the majority of the city in ruin, the CCT tower collapsed, and Beacon overrun with Grimm. To the students sitting in the classroom, it was simply an event in history, having taken place before they were born. Even as the aftermath of the massive battle still loomed over Vale, it was simply how it had always been to them.

"It was tough. A lot of bad things happened back then. I was still a student, just like you all are now," Ruby started slowly, her eyes slowly scanning around the stands full of students. Each pair of eyes in the classroom were intently focused on her now, the worry that even blinking would break the tension in the room.

"A lot of people got hurt, and we're still dealing with what's left of the White Fang. The Grimm, of course, are still a threat," continued Ruby, her gaze making each student she looked at lean just a bit closer to better hear her. Glancing towards team SKRA, she saw each of their eyes focused solely on her. Stopping at Amaranth, two pairs of silver eyes met, her daughter surprising her as her stare only grew stronger rather than averting.

"Despite all of that…I was a Huntress. I had to stand against the darkness, no matter how bad things got. I wasn't going to give up. Not then, and certainly not now."

Silence filled the air at her statement. Unlike her earlier mistake in Port's classroom, Ruby knew this silence was one of silence and respect, all of the students' thoughts reaffirming their belief in their choice to be a Hunter. A small smile of pride spread on Ruby's face, moved to see the next generation of Hunters that would strive for the same goals both she and her own mother did.

A single hand disturbed the calmness of the classroom, drawing Ruby's gaze towards it's owner. Her eyes widened slightly as her eyes once again locked with her daughter's unwavering pair. Hesitating momentarily, Ruby nodded her head in silent acknowledgement.

"How can you still smile so easily, in spite of all of that?"

Ruby struggled to wrap her mind around the question, at first. There was no accusation in Amaranth's tone, nothing to imply she was ashamed that Ruby was happy. Just confused. Unable to see _Ruby the mother_ and _Huntress Ruby Rose_ as a single person.

Gathering her thoughts, Ruby realized it was important for all of these aspiring Hunters to understand, not just her daughter. _Especially_ her daughter.

"Our whole purpose is to fight away the darkness in the world. To fill the world with light. For some, it might just be a career or a path to their own goals." Ruby looked around at each student, making sure each was focused on before settling her gaze on Amaranth.

"The world may not be a fairy tale, but that's why we're here. To make it better. If we can't smile as we do that, how can we expect others to be able to? How can others believe in our ideals if we can't do so ourselves?"

Staring into Amaranth's matching silver eyes, Ruby was reminded of all the hardships she went through before. She was reminded of the joy she shared with team RWBY and the rest of her friends. She was reminded of the love she and Weiss had for each other. She was reminded of the birth of her daughter, and how happy she was to have brought a little bit more light into the dark world.

"Learning from history is an important lesson, but I think having hope for a brighter future is just as important. That's why I smile, and why I'll keep smiling."

Ruby and Amaranth's locked gaze continued even in the following silence of Ruby's statement. The entire class was in deep thought, not a single hand raising after her words. Oobleck had quietly stood by, his high hopes for his former student having been justified knowing there was nothing else she'd rather do than be a Huntress. He stepped to the front of the class, lightly patting Ruby's shoulder to let her know she could take a break.

"Very well said, Mrs. Rose."

* * *

Ruby smiled happily as Weiss' face appeared on her scroll, the much-needed sight of her wife's face easing her heart.

"Heya Weiss," Ruby exclaimed happily, putting all of her excitement of the day into her voice. Having been subject to Ruby over many years, Weiss easily picked up on the forced emotion. Instantly abandoning her work, Weiss looked intently at Ruby with nothing but concern and love.

"Hello Ruby. How was Doctor Oobleck's class?"

"It was totally great! I spoke about lots of awesome stuff, you know?" Ruby's sheepish chuckle trailed off as Weiss' gaze was unchanging, not even shifting into a glare as she waited for Ruby to speak honestly. With a sigh, Ruby's face dropped into a more natural smile, a small bit somberness filling her features. "It really was okay, Weiss. I just hope they all learned something from me…"

"You dolt," came Weiss' quiet reply, a calm smile replacing her look of worry. Holding Ruby's silver gaze with her own ice blue, Weiss sighed softly. "You have far more to offer than you seem to realize. I wouldn't have followed you as my leader if that weren't the case. I have high standards, after all."

Ruby giggled softly at Weiss' declaration, both easily remembering their tense start yet able to look back at it fondly. With one last locking of gazes, Ruby brought up what she had wanted to say. "Ammy asked me a question during the class too. I just hope I answered it well enough."

Weiss' supportive gaze helped reassure Ruby enough to believe she had done something right, even if she knew Weiss had no knowledge of what she had said. Her relief turned to confusion as she saw Weiss' eyes flick to the side before she broke out in a smirk. "Ask her yourself."

Before Ruby could ask what she meant, she felt something collide with her from behind. Scrambling to catch her scroll before it shattered on the ground, Ruby desperately tried to regain her balance as the weight latched around her waist. Finally assured she wouldn't fall over, Ruby glanced back at whatever had crashed into her.

"Hey Mom," Amaranth's smiling face greeted Ruby's, the hug around her only tightening, threatening to match one of Yang's. A chuckle from Weiss had Amaranth releasing Ruby as she stepped back. "You know, my team wants to meet you properly, without you showing them up in front of class this time."

Ruby's eyes practically lit up as Amaranth openly expressed wanting to spend time with her, introducing her to her team. Having a quick good bye with Weiss, Ruby rushed after Amaranth, her face beaming brightly as she watched her daughter smile just as much.

Amaranth was ready to start hoping for a brighter future, smiling, just as she learned from her mother.

* * *

 **A/N: And that marks the end of this story. As I said before, I feel that I wouldn't do well in long plots, and trying to drag it out would just make it suffer, in my opinion. Apologies to those who felt it wasn't long enough, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.**

 **This whole idea was essentially a one-shot idea that stemmed from an older Ruby being a guest speaker. I then added the idea of Ruby's daughter being at Beacon, and from there it grew a bit. I wanted the first act (Port's class) to show her carefree side. The second act (Goodwitch) was to show her skills that kept her alive against danger. The third act (Oobleck) was to show that each side supported the other, that it was Ruby's innocence that leads her to be the great Huntress she is rather than hinder her.**

 **As I've said, I'll still be adding silly little one-shot ideas to my other story, Red, White, and Pink. Some will involve Amaranth, but most will be centered around Weiss and Ruby, and will vary in their timeframe.**

 **Thank you again to all who've read to the end, I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews would be great to know what I did right or wrong, so I can hopefully improve for my other story. I hope you'll all keep reading!**

 **Until next time, keep moving forward.**

 **~Nekonyaneko**


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